Anticipating a drought-like situation in Jammu and Kashmir due to negligible rain and snow this winter, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday warned of a worsening water crisis in the Union Territory (UT) and called for collective efforts to tackle the alarming situation.

“J&K residents cannot take water for granted,” he wrote on X.

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Omar’s concern has come after reports of many natural springs and waterbodies drying up across the UT. This has resulted in a severe drinking water crisis in many areas of the Kashmir valley and also the Jammu region.

The Chief Minister wrote on X; “J&K is staring at a water crisis this year. It’s not a recent phenomenon, actually it’s been building up for a few years now. While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management & conservation, it can’t just be a government centric approach.

“All of us residents of J&K will have to change the way we take water for granted. I’ll be reviewing the measures the Jal Shakti (PHE) Dept intends to take to deal with the developing crisis & I’ll also be talking to the people of J&K over the next few months about what we can do collectively”.

The prolonged dry spell has not only dried up water bodies but has also triggered forest fires in several areas.

Due to insufficient snowfall on the ski-slopes of Gulmarg, the government was forced to postpone the Kashmir edition of the Khelo India Winter Games.

The meteorological department has predicted a possibility of drought in the Kashmir valley due to a dry winter and about 80% precipitation deficit in January and February. The river bed of Jhelum was visible at many places in Kashmir.

Several natural water springs in South Kashmir, which flow into the lakes and rivers flowing across the valley, have already dried up.

Low water discharge in the Chenab river, which is otherwise known to be one of the most turbulent rivers in the world, is likely to hit power generation as most hydroelectric projects were located on this river. It will also hit drinking water supply in at least six districts of the Jammu region.

Protests by residents of villages affected due to drinking water shortage have already started particularly in South Kashmir. The Achhabal water spring has dried up. The spring and the Aripath rivulet are the source of drinking water to at least a dozen villages. The Aripal spring has also reportedly dried up.

Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmed Rana, has announced that “We will provide free of cost water through tankers to areas of Jammu which are facing shortage”.